Believers sometimes find it hard to believe Romans 8:28. The godly ones living during the time of Jeremiah could have the same struggle, especially those who ended up as exiles to Babylon. Concerning those sent into exile, God says this: “Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.” (Jeremiah 24:5) God says He has sent them into exile for their own good! Have we heard wrongly? What good can come out of this? Consider the following:

[1] It Led Them To Return To Him!

Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:5)

We see here the value of sanctified afflictions. We may have strayed and strayed far from our beloved Lord. His whispers of love did not draw us back. In His love, He shouts into our ears via afflictions! Dear saints, God’s aim is not our happiness, but our holiness. He does send troubles into our lives, that we may grow in grace and that our graces may grow! I must quickly add, only a holy man is a truly happy man.

[2] It Led Them To Return To Prayer!

We fail to pray. We acknowledge our failure, and then continue to fail! In God’s sovereign mercy, He may choose to quicken us to prayer by problems. The truth is that our troubles do drive us to our knees. As Spurgeon commented, ‘if it had not been for Esau, Jacob had never wrestled at Jabbok.’ 

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. [Jeremiah 29:12,13]

May our current crisis lead us back to our God, and to a life of more earnest prayer!

WEI En Yi